if you want a day challenge of exercise indoors sounds like a good challenge........................

but it is nothing like a real outdoor event................its a bit like saying I would love to do an ultra running event 50 miles around the lakedistrict,..................but I can't travel there so 50 miles on the treadmill watching countyfile will be the same

don't let money get in the way.............you can pick up a cheap second hand bike if you put some effort looking for it..............cheaper than gym membership probably.............

so no its not an ironman as you are mixing up the disciplines into different chunks and you are not using accurate distrances.................but you would be doing an unusual weird self challenge which is fine if that would satisfy your needs................I suspect it wouldn't though

I've been as yet flippant, but in all seriousness, I have done one Iron-distance event only, and should therefore not be considered as having *any* authority on the matter whatsoever. In my opinion if you're switching events as and when you feel, and you can't guarantee the distance you've covered anyway, it's not an Iron-distance event, let alone an Ironman. Never the less, I still think it's a challenge in itself, and if you wish to test yourself in the cheapest way possible, then go for it. To call it something it isn't though, would be to undermine the achievements of those who chose to follow the prescribed route.

It is a challenge, but its not ironman. And you're missing the whole point of Ironman - its the training leading up to it, the atmosphere around the town before, during and after the event. The race itself, chatting to people the world over, and suffering. Its a great experience and you'll not get anything like that from sitting on a gym bike watching MTV.

Yes but cougie, you seem to be forgetting that I'm a bit of a weirdo. I genuinely enjoy watching the numbers go round on a treadmill, I like working stuff out like say I decide I wanna do a half mara in 2 hours, I'm constantly doing calculations in my head - if I run at this pace for this long I'll only have to run this fast to achieve my target over the last 30 mins or whatever.

I do that on treddies too, if only to relieve the boredom. I've done 20 miles on one a couple of times, and I suppose it was a personal challenge to do it, but more of the 'can I stick this for long enough' variety than 'can I run that far?'

If I did happen to do 26.2 miles on one though I'd probably not think of it as having run a marathon - I only use the term (or half marathon, or whatever) for actual races. Same would go for ironman, covering the distance in your own time doesn't count as a race, and IM is a race.

2007 was an annus horribilis (or is it mirebalis??? - anyway it was a bad year) for me and IMUK pretty much got sacrificed and I didn't make it to the start line. The little training that I did do was on a bloody raleigh racer that I'd borrowed from my sister. In fact part of the reason I don't wanna fork out the money is because I don't wanna see it wasted if I don't complete the Ironman. Maybe I'll do one one day. I banged on about doing a marathon for yonks and people might've thought I'm all talk but then I did one, and another two. I banged on about buying a house for 15 years (always renting) then I finally bought one last month. I banged on about going on an England cricket tour for about a decade, and now I'm finally going (well i've booked it and paid for it). So I may yet do a proper Ironman, but it ain't gonna be 2012. And just seeing how far I can push myself in the gym will at least give me an indication of what I'm capable of.

I HAVE considered a treadie marathon before. In fact - I've done two 20 milers on one so I would have only needed another hour or so.

Anyone else had a go?

not done the whole distance but done 20 odd miles several times, whilst training for marathons. Mainly because I haven't got the day light and live in a rural location. I hate every minute on a dreadie, it takes away your ability to slow and spead up 'au natural' having to push buttons, just doesn't do it for me.

I do use the gym bike/dreadie for intensive brick training (5k bike on hill setting, then 1k run x5). As for training on the gym bike, the best your ever gonna get it to resemble outdoors, is on a faily high level on a random/hill setting.

"In fact part of the reason I don't wanna fork out the money is because I don't wanna see it wasted if I don't complete the Ironman."

then you're not ready to tackle an IM if you're thinking like that. sure there's a chance you might fail, but you need to have the right mental approach that says "I won't fail". IM isn't purely physical, it's psychological as well

so go do one in the gym - it won't tell you diddly squat other than you can do the IM distances in a gym. doing it in a real event is a different matter altogether

Just my 2p worth - running any long distance on a treadie is going to increase injury risk, striking the same floor at the exact same angle, at the exact same speed etc. i suppose you could get a load of mates to get in the pool with you and punch you round the head and tag your toes to simulate the mass start though

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